Here are some of the most commonly asked questions regarding University’s sexual
misconduct policy and procedures.

Does information about a complaint remain private? The privacy of all parties to a complaint of sexual misconduct must be
respected, except insofar as it interferes with the University’s obligation to
fully investigate allegations of sexual misconduct. Where privacy it not strictly
kept, it will still be tightly controlled on a need-to-know basis. Dissemination
of information and/or written materials to persons not involved in the
complaint procedure is not permitted. Violations of the privacy of the
complainant or the accused individual may lead to conduct action by the
University.
In all complaints of sexual misconduct, all parties will be informed of the
outcome. Certain University administrators are informed of the outcome
within the bounds of student privacy (e.g., the President of the University,
Dean of Students, Chief of Police). If there is a report of an act of alleged
sexual misconduct to a conduct officer of the University and there is evidence
that a felony has occurred, police will be notified. This does not mean charges
will be automatically filed or that a victim must speak with the police, but the
institution is legally required to notify law enforcement authorities. The
institution also must statistically report the occurrence on campus of major
violent crimes, including certain sex offenses, in an annual report of campus
crime statistics. This statistical report does not include personally identifiable
information.

Will my parents be told? No, not unless you tell them. Whether you are the complainant or the accused
individual, the University’s primary relationship is to the student and not to the
parent. However, in the event of major medical, disciplinary, or academic
jeopardy, students are strongly encouraged to inform their parents. University
officials will directly inform parents when requested to do so by a student, in a
life-threatening situation, or if an accused individual has signed the FERPA
waiver form which allows such communication.

Will the accused individual know my identity? Yes, if you file a formal complaint. Sexual misconduct is a serious offense and
the accused individual has the right to know the identity of the
complainant/alleged victim. If there is a hearing, the University does provide
options for questioning without confrontation, including closed-circuit
testimony, Skype, using a room divider or using separate hearing rooms.

Do I have to name the alleged perpetrator? Yes, and No. Yes, if you want formal disciplinary action to be taken against the
alleged perpetrator. No, if you choose to respond informally and do not file a
formal complaint (but you should consult the complete confidentiality policy
above to better understand the University’s legal obligations depending on
what information you share with different University officials). Victims should
be aware that not identifying the perpetrator may limit the institution’s ability
to respond comprehensively.

What do I do if I am accused of sexual misconduct? DO NOT contact the alleged victim. You may immediately want to contact
someone who can act as your advisor. Please see the appropriate section of the
Student Handbook for information regarding advisors. You may also contact
the Student Conduct Office, which can explain the University’s procedures for
addressing sexual misconduct complaints. You may also want to talk to a
confidential counselor at the Counseling Center or seek other community
assistance.

As a victim, do I have the right to an advisor? Yes. All parties involved may have an advisor present. Please see the
appropriate section of the Student Handbook for information regarding
advisors.

Will I (as a victim) have to pay for counseling/or medical care? Not typically. Any services provided on campus are done so free of cost. If a
victim is accessing community and non-institutional services, payment for
these will be subject to state/local laws, insurance requirements, and so on. In
Ohio, victims may be ineligible for state-based assistance if they were engaged
in any illegal activity during the assault or if they fail to cooperate with
criminal prosecution.

What about changing residence hall rooms? If you want to move, you may request a room change. Room changes under
these circumstances are considered emergencies. It is typically institutional
policy that in emergency room changes, the student is moved to the first
available suitable room. If you want the accused individual to move, and
believe that you have been the victim of sexual misconduct, you must be
willing to pursue a formal or informal University complaint. No Contact Orders
can be imposed and room changes for the accused individual can usually be
arranged quickly. Other accommodations available to you might include:
 Assistance from University support staff in completing the relocation;
 Arranging to dissolve a housing contract and pro-rating a refund;
 Assistance with or rescheduling an academic assignment (paper, exams,
etc.);
 Taking an incomplete in a class;
 Assistance with transferring class sections;
 Temporary withdrawal;
 Assistance with alternative course completion options;
 Other accommodations for safety as necessary.

What should I do about preserving evidence of a sexual assault? Police are in the best position to secure evidence of a crime. Physical evidence
of a criminal sexual assault must be collected from the alleged victim’s person
within 120 hours, though evidence can often be obtained from towels, sheets,
clothes, etc. for much longer periods of time. If you believe you have been a
victim of a criminal sexual assault, you should go to the Hospital Emergency
Room, before washing yourself or your clothing. The Sexual Assault Nurse
Examiner (a specially trained nurse) at the hospital is usually on call 24 hours a
day, 7 days a week (call the Emergency Room if you first want to speak to the
nurse; ER will refer you). If a victim goes to the hospital, local police may be
called, but the victim is not obligated to talk to the police or to pursue
prosecution. Having the evidence collected in this manner will help to keep all
options available to a victim, but will not obligate him or her to any course of
action. Collecting evidence can assist the authorities in pursuing criminal
charges, should the victim decide later to exercise it.
For the Victim: the hospital staff will collect evidence, check for injuries,
address pregnancy concerns and address the possibility of exposure to sexually
transmitted infections. If you have changed clothing since the assault, bring the
clothing you had on at the time of the assault with you to the hospital in a
clean, sanitary container such as a clean brown paper grocery bag or wrapped
in a clean sheet (plastic containers do not breathe, and may render evidence
useless). If you have not changed clothes, bring a change of clothes with you
to the hospital, if possible, as they will likely keep the clothes you are wearing
as evidence. You can take a support person with you to the hospital, and they
can accompany you through the exam, if you want. Do not disturb the crime
scene—leave all sheets, towels, etc. that may bear evidence for the police to
collect.

Will a victim be sanctioned when reporting a sexual misconduct policy violation if
they have illegally used drugs or alcohol? No. The severity of the infraction will determine the nature of the University’s
response, but whenever possible the University will respond educationally
rather than punitively to the illegal use of drugs and/or alcohol. The seriousness
of sexual misconduct is a major concern and the University does not want any
of the circumstances (e.g., drug or alcohol use) to inhibit the reporting of sexual
misconduct.

Will the use of drugs or alcohol affect the outcome of a sexual misconduct conduct
complaint? The use of alcohol and/or drugs by either party will not diminish the accused
individual’s responsibility. On the other hand, alcohol and/or drug use is likely
to affect the complainant’s memory and, therefore, may affect the outcome of
the complaint. A person bringing a complaint of sexual misconduct must either
remember the alleged incident or have sufficient circumstantial evidence,
physical evidence and/or witnesses to prove his/her complaint. If the
complainant does not remember the circumstances of the alleged incident, it
may not be possible to impose sanctions on the accused without further
corroborating information. Use of alcohol and/or other drugs will never excuse
a violation by an accused individual.

Will either party’s prior use of drugs and/or alcohol be a factor when reporting
sexual misconduct? Not unless there is a compelling reason to believe that prior use or abuse is
relevant to the present complaint, at the discretion of the University.

What should I do if I am uncertain about what happened? If you believe that you have experienced sexual misconduct, but are unsure of
whether it was a violation of the institution’s sexual misconduct policy, you
should contact the Student Conduct or Residence Life offices. These staff
members can help you define and clarify the event(s), and advise you of your
options.

If I am accused of Sex or Gender-Based Misconduct, will I be allowed to stay on
campus and go to class? That depends on the type of allegations. If there is concern for the safety or
well-being of any member of the University community, a student alleged of
misconduct may be given an interim suspension from all University property
and activities, including class. This suspension would be reviewed after the
completion of the investigation process, including any hearings and appeals.

If I don’t know the assailant, should I still report it? Yes. Any misconduct should be reported so that an investigation may take
place. There might be other victims that have reported similar incidents that
you are unaware of, making your report more significant than you realized.
Additionally, reporting the incident will help you connect with resources to
assist in your recovery.

Is it still Sexual Harassment if the aggressor is my girlfriend/boyfriend or a spouse? Yes. Unwelcome conduct from any source is unacceptable. Conduct that falls
into this category may be considered domestic violence or dating violence in
addition to the specific type of violation.